WYLIE, Texas — For the past several years, enrollment at Birmingham Elementary in Wylie has remained pretty steady at about 550 students.
However, that number will most certainly go up thanks to an unexpected surprise.
“They just kept coming,” said Birmingham principal Tracy Halligan.
Halligan says it all began when second-grade teacher Katy Byrd gave birth to a daughter in February.
A few weeks later, first-grade teacher Amber Bouldin welcomed her daughter, too.
Again, a few weeks after that, third-grade teacher Sara Aref delivered her own baby girl.
That trend continued for seven months. Eight teachers delivered eight babies with now two more on the way.
In all that’s 10 babies in a little over a year, which makes one wonder, what’s in the water at Birmingham?
“I don’t know but I bring my own bottled water,” Halligan joked.
Halligan says that over the past year, a quarter of her teaching staff was expecting. Each pregnancy left her juggling schedules and substitutes.
“The group texts were going crazy,” said teacher Lynette Barnor.
“When someone announced they’re pregnant and you’re like, ‘ooh, I wonder how Tracy’s gonna react,’” Aref laughed.
“It got to the point where I was just like, ‘Are you people playing me,’’ Halligan said.
Of course, Halligan was thrilled, but not nearly as happy as these moms.
Motherhood can be hard. They say it’s comforting knowing their babies will grow up together and may one day share a classroom just as they’ve shared this journey.
“Until I came here I didn’t really have mom friends, so I’m excited to have mom friends now,” said teacher Nevien Albanna-Wilson.
“We have a built-in support system that just kind of kept growing,” Byrd said.
“You’re like, ‘ok, I’m going to make it through this. I’m going to make it through this newborn stage, I’m going to figure out motherhood,’” Bouldin said.
“To be able to text these ladies and be like, ‘today’s the worst. I don’t like it,’ and they’re like, ‘I’m right there with you,’ it’s like the cup overflows. It’s a great feeling,” Barnor said. “It’s amazing.”
The joy of having a baby is made even better by having each other.